


Gone and Back Again

by orphan_account



Category: Ocean's 8 (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/F, Feelings, High School, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Moving, Recreational Drug Use, Reunions, School Dances
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-24 22:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16184084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: When Lou moved away, Debbie was devastated, but she eventually moved on. When Lou returns from Australia will it send Debbie back to the place she was when Lou left? Or will Debbie be thrilled to see her friend again? Or will the arrival of a more grown up Lou bring about confusing feelings for Debbie?





	Gone and Back Again

Debbie Ocean could not believe her eyes. Part of her didn't completely believe it. When Lou had moved away, Debbie had seen her everywhere when she wasn't there. But Debbie rubbed her eyes and long fingers swept messy blonde hair out of blue eyes as one long leg crossed over the other on the side of Debbie's desk. She sat down in her seat and Lou put her feet down and leaned forward. There was a small smile on her face, it wasn't a smirk or even that smug, just a semi-nervous smile. Debbie missed seeing Lou smile, even though that wasn't the smile she was really used to seeing. She'd have a lot to say to Tammy after school. She knew that Tammy was kind of the only one that she could talk to about this since she'd really been the only one who was there to see what Lou leaving had truly put her through. 

"Miss me?" Lou asked and Debbie didn't respond. Lou sighed and turned so she was sitting forward in her seat instead of sideways. Debbie felt bad, she wanted nothing more than to reconnect with Lou, she'd missed her so much in the past few years, but she couldn't just forget about all of that pain. "I thought you'd be a little happy to see me at the very least." 

"It's not that I'm not happy Lou, it's just that I need to process this," Debbie said and Lou nodded. "You've been gone for a long time and a lot has changed. You can't expect everything to just go back to the way it was before." 

"I know that, but you, just, I don't know, make it seem like we broke or something." Lou's fingers drummed on the desk. Debbie knew that was sort of a nervous tick she had. She'd only ever witnessed it a few times in their friendship. Debbie tried to push it from her mind, but couldn't seem to. However, when Tammy walked in and took her normal seat in front of Debbie, she didn't have to distract herself from thinking about Lou and how hard life had been after she left. "Hey Tammy." 

"Oh my god, I heard we got a semi-new student, but I didn't think it was you. It's been forever Lou!" Tammy exclaimed, hugging her old friend. "Debbie has something after school today, but we can wait for her together and then hang out if you want." 

"That sounds great," Lou said and Debbie nodded, staying quiet. Tammy caught Lou up to speed on several things that had happened since she'd left and Lou told her a bit about what she'd done in Australia. For the rest of the day, Debbie let herself run on autopilot. It wasn't until she was about to clock out that it turned off. Lou and Tammy had come in and gotten something to go, but then didn't leave that she suddenly became aware that today was actually real. Debbie didn't have a chance to try and escape them, both of them waiting patiently for her in the parking lot. "Can I ride with you to your place?" 

"Sure." Debbie opened her car door and got into the driver's seat. Lou got in on the passenger's side and buckled up, watching Debbie start her car as she did. Lou cleared her throat and Debbie glanced at her before they started driving towards Debbie's house. "Is there something you want to say to me?" 

"Yes, but I'm going to give us a bit of time before I say it. I understand you were hurt when I left and you have every right to be mad at me, but it was hard on me too and I came back. It's later than I wanted to, but this time I'm here to stay," Lou said and Debbie nodded. "If you want me to, I'll distance myself unless Tammy's around and make some different friends. It can't be that hard honestly." 

"No, I'm glad you're back and I want us to be back at the place we were before you left, but I don't know if I can do that Lou. A lot has changed and those things might change how we are around each other," Debbie said and Lou nodded. "Where do you live now?" 

"I've got an apartment in town. Are you doing anything after homecoming?" Lou asked and Debbie shook her head. "Great, we'll go together and get drunk after the dance. Tammy already made me promise that I'd go and even went as far as to arrange a date for me if you declined me." As they turned the corner, Lou's phone vibrated, a selfie Tammy took when they were smoking right after school popping up on the screen. "Speak of the devil. You're on speaker Tam." 

"Okay, well, I met up with Nine Ball on the way and is it cool if she hangs out with us?" Tammy asked and Debbie slammed on the breaks. Tammy had not so secretly been flirting with Nine Ball since the taller girl had moved into town a couple months after Debbie had finally gotten over Lou. Debbie was well aware that any time Tammy brought over Nine Ball, there was weed involved. Debbie was already on thin ice with her parents for spending a night in jail after getting caught in a party, so she had to quickly think of somewhere else they could meet up. "Guys?" 

"Tammy, we can't come to my house if you're hanging out with her," Debbie said and Lou tapped Debbie's shoulder. "What?" 

"We can go to my apartment and that way you guys can stay there in case you're not sober by the time you need to be home," Lou offered and Debbie smiled at her. 

"Perfect," Tammy said and Lou filled them in on how to get there. Lou and Debbie had beat them there by exactly 3 minutes, which wasn't enough time for Debbie to even figure out where to start trying to repair her relationship with Lou. Tammy and Nine Ball took up all the space on Lou's very small couch, leaving Lou and Debbie to share a large plush chair. Technically it wasn't a chair, but almost like really big, sort of thin pillow wrapped in a large, plush, fur pillow case that was missing the piece that folded it into a chair of sorts. It didn't take Debbie long to piece together that this was probably where Lou was sleeping since there were a couple throw pillows near it and a quilt on top of it. "Nice place you've got for yourself." 

"Thanks," Lou said, turning on a movie. Nine Ball and Tammy bail halfway through, making Debbie think Tammy might have made a move of some sort earlier. "So, I guess we didn't need to come here after all, but would you like a tour?" 

"Absolutely," Debbie said and Lou hopped up before helping up Debbie. "Is this your bedroom or the living room?"  

"Both, the kitchen is over here as you can see, there's no dining room, and if you go down this tiny hallway, there's my bathroom. Would you like to stay the night?" Lou asked and Debbie tilted her head a bit. "I mean, you'll be over here Friday, but it's a bit late and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you." 

"I'll see you tomorrow Lou," Debbie said and Lou nodded. They went their separate ways for the night, both of them struck with a feeling that something wasn't right. As Debbie laid in her bed trying to fall asleep, she found herself only able to think about Lou. She'd had a crush on her best friend before she'd left, but now that Lou was back and taller and more grown up, the crush seemed to come back and it carried even more intensity than before. 

* * *

When Friday night came, Debbie found herself actually nervous for one of these dances. She searched for a reasoning to it all, but had come up empty handed. Tammy had insisted they get ready together while Nine Ball and Lou got ready at Lou's apartment. Debbie knew for a fact that they would cancel on the football game to smoke, but she didn't care since she had to cancel because Tammy was treating this almost as if it was their prom. Tammy ran a curler through Debbie's hair before putting the finishing touches on her makeup and then making a video call to Nine Ball. 

"I don't know if I'm gonna survive tonight," Nine Ball said once she'd picked up. "Are both of you ready or not? Lou wants to bail on the game." 

"Come over, we can hang out for a couple hours before the dance starts," Tammy offered and Debbie practically counted the minutes until Lou arrived. It was exactly 7 and a half, for the record. Nine Ball and Tammy cuddled on Tammy's bed while Lou stood by the door and Debbie sat on Tammy's swivel chair. "You both dapper as hell." 

"Thank you," Lou and Nine Ball said in unison. Debbie had to pry her eyes off of her best friend who was dressed in a suit that Tammy had no doubt helped her pick out. It contrasted the dress that Tammy had bought for her, which sort of matched Nine Ball's. "You look nice Ocean." 

"Thanks Miller." Lou pulled Debbie onto her feet just before Tammy could take a photo of them for Snapchat. "Smooth." 

"Don't say it like that's a recent development," Lou said, leaning in slightly and smirking at Debbie. Lou could tell she was slightly flustered, which only seemed to make her want to go further, but also was what held her back. "I have always been smooth, now you're noticing it because in the two years that I was away, I got hotter." 

"What?" Debbie asked and Lou raised an eyebrow, waiting for an argument. "You're still ridiculous." 

"I will get you to admit it Ocean." Lou moved Debbie out of the door and down the hallway. Tammy's mother got a few pictures of the group and then they went their separate ways. Tammy and Nine Ball went in Nine Ball's bar and Debbie drove herself and Lou. "So, do you think I'm hot?" 

"I think you look really good in that suit," Debbie said and Lou smiled at her. "What?" 

"Here I was about to look like an idiot and go on about how beautiful you look tonight. All I got was that I look good in the suit, wow," Lou said and Debbie rolled her eyes at her best friend. "You do look beautiful though. Absolutely beautiful." 

"Thank you," Debbie said as they pulled up to the school. They walked in together and immediately found a spot to hang out and talk while they kept an eye on Tammy and her date. "I swear they're in love or something." 

"How long have they been into each other?" Lou asked, putting an arm around Debbie's shoulders. Debbie froze for a second before leaning her head against Lou's shoulder. 

"I don't know honestly. I just sort of noticed that Tammy would hang out with her once or twice a month and then it escalated. I think it's really cute," Debbie said and Lou nodded. "Has there been anybody special in your life since you left?" 

"Nobody special, but there have been people here and there. Although, there is this one girl, she's probably the most beautiful girl I've ever seen in my entire life and I'd absolutely love to take her on a date sometime," Lou said and Debbie nodded. 

"Tell me more," Debbie insisted and Lou sighed, a goofy smile already on her face. 

"She's got these mesmerizing, soft brown eyes that I just find myself getting lost in. She's got brown hair and I think constantly about how nice it would be to run my fingers through it. Everything about her is just so amazing and beautiful and always on my mind. I can go on if you'd like, but it'll get a little graphic," Lou offered and Debbie shook her head. "There's nothing I wouldn't give just to kiss her right now, except our friendship. Honestly, she's the entire reason I fought so hard to come back and be with her." 

"Well, I bet she wouldn't completely mind it if you kissed her, as long as you promise not to run off and abandon her ever again," Debbie said and Lou kissed her. The kiss was tender and soft, Lou broke it once she heard clapping and some whistling coming from Tammy and Nine Ball. "I think I might actually kill them right now." 

"Don't, we can go back to my apartment, get tipsy, and cuddle," Lou promised and Debbie nodded, smiling at her. At Tammy's request they stayed for half of the dance, but once Tammy's attention was completely off of them, Lou and Debbie snuck off back to Lou's apartment. Lou brought them some wine coolers, put on a movie from Netflix, and laid down beside Debbie, moving a strand of hair from her friend's neck. "You know, this is pretty nice." 

"It is," Debbie said, turning slightly to smile at Lou. Lou fell asleep halfway through the movie, arms tightly around Debbie who'd been a bit more than spooked by the movie choice. She didn't mind, especially since it was Lou that she was watching the movie with and the blonde was just as protective as she remembered her to be before. Once Debbie was certain that Lou was asleep, she sighed and closed her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "I think I'm in love with you, so please don't leave me again." 


End file.
